Looking for ideas

[maple flats]

I have been asked by a local grade school and have accepted to give 4- 30 minute sessions about maple syrup production this June. This will be 2 sessions geared towards K-3rd grade and 2 sessions geared towards 3rd grade thru 6th. I will be at the school and can choose to be inside or out (weather permitting) This school is located adjacent to a sugar maple treed village park of about 4-5 acres. I will need to take any props needed and I will be alone giving the presentation.
What I am looking for is a few ideas and what I might change for the lower grades to the higher grade level. The classes will be for students who chose to learn about maple syrup production and there will be several different presentations being given at each time slot. The groups will have anywhere from1-15 students for each time slot. Have any of you ever done anything like this? If yes, what has worked well and what would be better done differently or not at all? Any and all suggestions are welcome. This is the same school that I invited to my open house on March 25, after that the principal asked me to do this round robin type presentation. Only about 12-15 families from this school came to the open house but they already had a overall presentaion on their leval for making syrup. From years of doing training in scouts i have plenty of practice to give a talk but looking for suggestions on things to cover being this will be done on June 19. I am planning on taking sample cups and some syrup to hand out to everyone who wants to try it. I will not be selling any syrup at the presentation.

[maplehound]

I have done this very thing at my local school for earth day. I had help though from my sister inlaw who got me involved in it in the first place. We had toastix to dip in syrup for taste testing withc we taosted in the cafiteria. (head cafiterian was my mother) I also took in a couple logs to set up as trees to show how a tree was tapped and how we hung a bucket or ran tubbing. I also gave them color books and tried to follow the story in them. It starts off telling the story about how the indians discoverd maple syrup and how it was made then. I also gave each child a small piece of sugar candy. Take diffrent types of syrup bottles ( log cabin, aunt gemima, ect.) ask them if that is how they buy there maple syrup and let them know that isn't real syrup. Try to dress the part of a woodsman. The kids in my school told my nephews that I looked like Paul Bunyan. Most of all though have fun and make sure the kids do too. :wink: :) :) .
GOOD LUCK
Ron

[RileySugarbush]

I've done this too, for third grade classes. And my kids have used it for "how to" speeches in grade school.

Take a brace and bit in to show how the tree is tapped, then bucket or sack and holder. If you have some sap, you can take that in, or make some by diluting down some syrup. The key is to show them how slight the sweet taste is, and clear the sap is before evaporation. Then describe evaporation. It helps if you have an 8oz bottle and a couple of gallon jugs to show how much it needs to be boiled down. Now it's time to let them have a taste. I have brought in some maple flavored pancake syrup for comparison.

I am lucky enough to have some very, very old equipment, probably from native American sugaring, found in northern MN in the 60's. A birch bark container and a grooved wood spile. A great demo for showing how things have changed. Especially if you have some tubing for the most modern methods. Pick a couple of volunteers to drill a hole in a log. The others won't feel too bad since they get a sample of your syrup!

In the time you have, talking,showing, demonstrating and sampling will be plenty. Bring some pictures and ask for questions if you have time. The kids will love it.


Regarding the different age levels, everything shold be basically the same, jsut use simpler language for the younger kids.

Have fun! Sharing your interests with kids is a joy, and these ages are the best.

[Johnny Cuervo]

Hi Dave. We did a science fair about maple syrup a few years ago and the kids loved it.
I have a few things your welcome to use. We made a 10-minute video with my daughter showing from tapping to eating pancakes, one part of the video I catch her with her mouth under a tap drinking sap. It always gets a good laugh. I also have a 3 ft log that you put a tap in and on the backside you fill with sap or water. People shook their heads at this log producing sap while sitting on a table. I also have many of those small 1 oz cups for tasting. If you want to use any of these just let me know. If I am free and you would like some help I’d be glad to.

[maple flats]

Wow, you guys are truly amazing. For a new post from late last evening and it only being 6:00 am now I have really gotten some tremendous ideas and even offers to help, offers for props and .... You are the best. I will keep looking at this for the next few weeks and then start to firm up my plans. Thanks so far for everything.
Dave

[maple flats]

All went well. I gave 4 presentations in a class room, 2 groups K-3 and 2 groups 4-6 grades. I covered the same in each but the detail and level of information varied according to the age level being taught.
I had a real running tap and bucket for them to see and I showed them how to make thier own spiles to try it at home. The groups were from 12-17 students each and they seemed to have a lot of fun and asked some very good questions. I ran it so any one with a question could get it answered right then and all but 2 liked real maple syrup, which is a little better than in many kids groups. I might have some real connesseurs developing there. I'll bet the open house will be better attended next March too. I had fun as did the kids according to their enthusiasm displayed.
Thanks for the ideas. In addition to the "real running tap" I had many different bottles to show, made a taps display of many old and up to current ones, had a mini tubing set up, showed actual blocks of sugar, and red maple trunks and had some hands on. They all got a laugh right at the end when I "exposed" mu running tap method, a hanging bag similar to an I.V. bag and filled with water, a mount in the stump to hold the bag and all covered with an old camo hunting shirt (mossy oak, couldn't find mossy maple) The free samples and coloring books were a big hit (The school paid the cost of the books @ my cost), except 1 kid about 7 said he doesn't "do coloring books" anymore, but that didn't stop the big kids who do. He did like the syrup! I expect to do this again next year if asked to and judging from the # who did it this year I do think I will be asked.
Dave

[HanginAround]

Sounds like a whole pile of fun... forget the kids, I meant for you :D Too bad it wasn't "in season" though. Hard to get into the right frame of mind in June.

[maple flats]

It was different being so far from the season BUT my guess is that my sugarhouse will now be BUSY for openhouse during the season. And I may now have some more maple afficienados around.

[maplehound]

Maybe next year invite some of the classes to take a field trip to see your operation. I had 2 diffrent private schools come to my sugar house this year. It is always a hit if you can let one of the kids tap a tree. Then they can all get a taste of fresh sap( if it is running that day) :) Another side benifit is that the kids will bring money to buy syrup if you give them a price list in advance.
Keep up the education classes :D
Ron